Hydrotherapy pump



HYDROTHERAPY PUMP Filed Sept. 23, 1952 5 WV 29 i po 27 K34 35 w gooooo ii M i INVENTOR. W/LL/AM H. SCOTT.

ATTORNEK 2,730,095 HYDROTHERAPY PUMP William H. Scott, Rochester, N. Y.

Application September 23, 1952, Serial No. 311,049

3 Claims. (Cl. 128'--'66) The present invention relates to a pumping apparatus,

and more particularly to such apparatus intended for use in connection with hydrotherapy baths.

The beneficial effects of hydrotherapy baths have bee generally recognized and accepted. The gentle massaging effect afforded by such baths is oftendesirable, and particularly when manual massaging is too severe and/ or painful to the patient. The massaging effect of water currents serves to stimulate the patients skin, nerves, body and muscular tissues, in a manner not possible with other methods. In order to enhance the stimulating effects of the water currents, it has been common practice to mix currents of air with the flowing water. In such baths, the body of the patient, or the part thereof to be treated, is submerged below the level of the treating liquid, which is usually water or a water solution, and subjected to the firm yet gentle massaging effect of moving water or water and air currents. In addition to stimulating the submerged body portion by means of these nited States Patent currents, it is often desirable to apply massaging eifects to the portion or portions of the body above the liquid level. This additional massaging eifect cooperates with that afforded by the liquid or liquid and air streams applied to the submerged body'portions.

In order to produce these beneficial effects, the present invention provides a new and improved form of a liquid pump for providing the desired massaging liquid currents. In addition, a submerged vacuum. pump is provided so that the exhaust of the vacuum pump is connected to the liquid pump so the latter will discharge a liquid-air mixture. If desired, the inlet side of the vacuum pump may be carried to a point above the liquid level and have secured thereto a suitable massaging appliance, so that the patient may provide a gentle massaging action to the body portion above liquid level to work up circulation therein.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a new and improved pump for use in connection with hydrotherapy baths.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a submerged rotary air and liquid pumps to provide massaging air and liquid currents.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of an arrangement by which additional massaging effects can be applied to the body portion extending above the level of the treating liquid.

To these and other ends the inventive idea resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows the application of the pump and drive mechanism of the present invention, the treating tank being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a vertical elevation view of the lower pump housing, with parts in section, showing the relation of the air and liquid pumps; and

be positioned in a suitable liquid-receiving tank, such as a bathtub 16, having a bottom 17, opposite sides 18, ends 19 (only one of which is shown). The tank 16 may be filled to a suitable height 20 with treating liquid such as water or water solution, or other suitable treating liquid. The pump assembly is submerged below the liquid level 20 to provide agitation in the body of the treating liquid to insure the desired agitation thereof to provide the massaging effects.

The pump assembly comprises a base member 23 formed with aplurality of supporting feet 24, each of which has attached thereto a flexible suction cup 25 so that when the assembly, Fig. 1, is pressed against the bottom 17 of the tank, the suctioncups 25 will serve to connect and retain the assembly in proper relation on the tank bottom. The cups 25 also serve electrically to insulate the entire assembly from the tank, the advantages of which are deemed obvious. The base 23 is-provided with a central opening 26 which affords a lower bearing for a vertically extending drive shaft 27. The upper surface 28 of the base serves as a support for a propeller housing 29 in which is rotatably mounted a propeller 30 fixedly connected to the shaft 27. The side 31 of the propeller housing is formed with a flared discharge open ing having a plurality of discharge slots 32. The upper surface 33 of the housing 29 is formed with a central inlet opening 34 concentric vith shaft 2:! placing the interior of the housing 29 in liquid communication with a supply chamber 35 positioned directly above the housing 29, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. The sides of the chamber 35 are enclosed by an annular perforated plate or screen 36, which rests on the surface 33 of the housing 29. The top of the chamber 35 is sealed off by a plate which is screwed into lower edge of wail 52,.as best shown in Fig. 2.

The rotation of the shaft 27 and propeller 30 will cause a reduction in pressure in the propeller housing 2%, and this reduced pressure will cause liquid to flow from the tank 16 through screen 36 into supply chamber 35, and then through the inlet opening 34 into the interior of the propeller 3%. The rotating propeller 3-3 will then. force the liquid in the housing to flow under pressure through the discharge openings 32 to cause a series of submerged liquid streams which will agitate the liquid in the tank to aiford the discharge massaging efiect.

A vacuum pump housing at) rests on screen 36, see Fig. 2. The various parts are held in assembled relation by means of bolts 41, the heads of which engage the base 23 and the upper ends of which are threaded into a flange 42 formed on-the housing 4*), as best shown in Fig. 2. The chamber 43 is provided with an air inlet opening 46 which is connected at one end with a pipe 47 the other end of which has suitably connected thereto a flexible member or tube 43, which may be e7 to a point above the liquid 2% to receive a vacuum ance, generally indicated by the numeral 49. This appliance enables the patient, or the attendant, to press the.

appliance 49, against the skin of the patient, applying a gentle massaging effect to the portion of the patients body above the liquid level. This autiliary massaging efiect provides the desired stimulation to the skin tissues and muscles, and cooperates with the main massaging eifect atforded by the liquid streams in the body of the liquid treating material.

The rotor 44 arranged concentric with the shaft 27, but eccentric with the casing 43. The rotor 44 is pro- Pa tented Jan. 10, 1956 vided with a plurality of, in the present instance four, radial slots in which are positioned radially movable plates or vanes. As the rotor is rotated these vanes are moved outwardly until the'oute'r edges'of the vanes engage the inner surface of the housing 43." Whenthe varies are at the left side of the housing, see Fig. 2, the vanes have been thrown out the maximum distance and'a volume of air will be trapped between a pair of adjacent vanes. As the rotor 44 turns to the right, the vanes will be moved in gradually and the periphery of the rotor will gradually approach the inner surface of the housing 43 to compress the air. Finally, the compressed air reaches opening.50 and is discharged therethrough. The air rotor 44 with its radially movable vanes does 'not, per se, constitute a part of the present invention and details thereof are not shown.

The housing 40 has extending upwardly therefrom a tubular member 55 in which the rotary shaft 27 is housed. This tubular member cooperates with the propeller housing to provide a general housing in which the various parts are arranged, the lower part of the housing which carries the pumps being adapted to be submerged below the liquid level. Near the upper end of tube 55, the shaft 27 is connected to a flexible member or shaft 56 which rotates within the 45 elbow 57 connected to tube 55 and a horizontal tubular member 58 which extends from the left of the elbow 57. The left end of the flexible shaft is connected through an electrically insulating coupling 59 to the shaft 60 of an electric motor 61. The

It has been found that the beneficial effects of the moving liquid streams may be augmented if air is mixed with the water streams discharged by the propeller 30 so the latter will deliver an air-liquid mixture into the body of the liquid in the tank. This air cooperates with the moving liquid to set up gently massaging streams in the body of the liquid; and, in addition, the air acts on the skin of the patient to produce desired results not possible with the water streams alone. To this end, the present invention provides an arrangement for introducing air into the liquid streams discharged through the openings 32.

To secure this result, the vacuum pump chamber 43 is provided with a radially extending outlet opening 50 WhlCh'COHHCCtS the chamber 43 in fluid communication with an annular exhaust chamber 51.into which air is pumped under pressure by the rotating rotor 44. The latter is eccentrically mounted in chamber 43 so it is positioned slightly spaced radially from the vertical wall 52 of the chamber 43 adjacent the air inlet opening 46, but is in substantial contact with said wall 52 adjacent the outlet 50 to insure that the air will be forced under pressure through outlet 50 into chamber 51.

As the air is discharged from the opening 50, it moves into the housing 40 which then acts as a plenum chamber. In order to eliminate loss or leakage of air upward in tube 55, the latter has positioned therein, just above housing 40, a packing or seal which is placed around shaft 27 to protect a ball bearing, not shown, for the shaft against moisture. As this packing or seal does not form a part of the present invention, it is not shown or described. However, this packing will provide an effective seal which will prevent air rising in tube 55.

In order to mix the air under pressure in chamber 51 with the liquid discharged from the propeller housing 29, the chamber 51 is placed in fluid communication with the liquid inlet supply chamber 35. To secure this result, the plate 37 below opening 50 is formed with an aperture 53 which connects chamber 51 to chamber 35. The result is that the air under pressure in chamber 51 is forced through opening 53 into the liquid supply chamber 35 where an air liquid mixture is provided. This mixture then passes through the inlet opening 34 in the propeller housing and enters the interior of the latter. The rapidly rotating propeller 30 then forces this air liquid mixture radially through the discharge openings 32 to provide submerged liquid and air streams in the body of the liquid in the tank 16. Thus, the vacuum and liquid pumps are mounted on the same shaft and rotate as a unit to provide the combined liquid and air streams in the body of the treating liquid to afford the desired massaging and other elfects on the portions of the patients body submerged below the liquid level. On the other hand, the vacuum appliance 49 may be applied to the upper or non-submerged portions of the body which require special treatment for working up circulation and stimulation of the skin, nerves and muscular tissues of the upper portion of the body which extend above the liquid level.

latter is supported in an elevated position on a pedestal 62, the base 63 of which is formed with a plurality (in the present instance 6) of supporting feet 64, each of which is provided with a rubber suction cup 65, which serves to position and hold the pedestal 62 releasably in position on a support 66, such as a floor. In addition to supporting and positioning the pedestal, the cup 65 serves to insulate electrically the pedestal 62, and hence the motor 61 from the floor 66,-so as to prevent any possible short-circuiting of the motor in case the floor is damp or wet, the advantages of which are deemed apparent. In order to position the motor in proper elevated position, the pedestal is provided with an adjustable member in the form of a screw 67, the upper end of which is connected to the motor so that the vertical position of the latter can be adjusted to bring the motor shaft 60 into horizontal alignment with the end of the flexible shaft 56 and coupling 59.

While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is to be understood the inventive idea may be carried out in anumber of ways. Therefore, the present application is not to be limited to the precise details described, but'is intended to cover all variations and modifications falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A hydrotherapy device comprising in combination a housing the lower portionofwhich is adapted to be submerged below the surface of a treating liquid in a tank, a liquid pump propeller casing carried by said portion and having a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, a propeller rotatably mounted in said casing, an air pump casing carried by said portion adjacent said first casing, an air propeller mounted for rotation in said second and eccentric to the latter casing, an air inlet connection attached to said second casing and having a tube adapted to extend above said surface and having a vacuum massaging device connected to the upper end of said air inlet, an air discharge outlet connection on said second casing connected to the liquid inlet of said first casing to cause air to be mixed with the liquid discharged from said first casing, a shaft supported in said housing and carrying both propellers, and means operatively connected to the shaft for rotating said shaft to operate both pumps.

2. A hydrotherapy device comprising in combination a housing the lower portion of which is adapted to be submerged below the surface of a treating liquid in a tank, a liquid centrifugal pump comprising a hollow casing carried by said portion and formed with a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, a propeller rotatably positioned in said casing to force said liquid under pressure through said outlet to agitate the body of liquid in said tank surrounding said housing, a liquid supply chamber positioned above and in liquid communication with said casing and formed with a perforated annular wall to permit liquid toenter said chamber from said tank, an air pump casing carried by said portion positioned above and in alignment with said first casing, an air propeller rotatably mounted in said second casing, an air inlet for said second casing having the free end thereof adapted, to extend to a point above said surface, an air discharge chamber surrounding said second casing, means connecting said air discharge chamber in fluid communication with said liquid supply chamber to mix air with the liquid being supplied to said first casing, a rotatable shaft to which said propellers are connected in aligned relation, and means operatively attached to said shaft for rotating said shaft to operate both propellers simultaneously.

3. A hydrotherapy device comprising in combination a vertical housing the lower end of which is adapted to be submerged below the surface of a treating liquid in a tank, means on the housing for supporting said housing on and connecting it releasably to the bottom of said tank, a drive shaft extending vertically through said housing, a liquid pump casing mounted adjacent the lower end of said portion, a liquid pump propeller positioned in said casing and connected to said shaft, a liquid inlet chamber above said casing and formed with an annular perforated wall to permit liquid to flow from said tank into said chamber, said casing having an axial extending opening therein to connect said casing in fiuid communication with said chamber, a radially extending discharge on said casing, an air pump casing positioned above said chamber, an air pump rotor connected to said shaft and positioned in said air pump casing, an air inlet connection on said air pump casing adapted to extend to a point above said surface and a vacuum massaging device connected to said inlet connection, an air outlet chamber in fluid communication with said air pump casing, conduit means connecting said outlet chamber to said liquid inlet chamber to mix air into said liquid in said inlet chamber, and means positioned outside said tank and operatively attached to said shaft to rotate said propeller and rotor to cause an air and liquid mixture to be discharged from said liquid pump to agitate the liquid in said tank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 599,918 Short Mar. 1, 1898 615,499 Schmid Dec. 6, 1898 738,782 Edwards Sept. 15, 1903 904,133 Kennedy Nov. 17, 1908 1,004,230 Balcome Sept. 26, 1911 1,438,908 Young Dec. 5, 1922 1,592,024 Jennings July 13, 1926 1,780,182 Frederics Nov. 4, 1930 1,928,839 Marsden Oct. 3, 1933 2,237,436 llle Apr. 8, 1941 2,432,211 Rocke Dec. 9, 1947 2,559,678 Schroeter July 10, 1951 

